SwiftKey Note Review

The number of differentiators between iOS and Android has gradually evaporated over time, but one cavernous gap remains: Apple won’t allow third-party developers to create alternate keyboards — a hurdle that hasn’t stopped a longtime favorite on Google’s mobile platform from trying anyway. SwiftKey Note might sound a lot like Fleksy, an alternative keyboard for iOS that actually attempts to build a better mousetrap than Apple’s own. But this is something else entirely: A note-taking app that instead improves upon Apple’s standard touch keyboard.

Using what it calls "magical prediction technology," SwiftKey Note offers three auto-correction options, which are perched atop the same keyboard you already know and love (or loathe). The prediction at center with a white background can be instantly inserted into text just by tapping the space bar, while the others in gray must be tapped on directly. SwiftKey pays attention to your typing and intelligently parses such data to predict which words you might tap out next. We’ve found that Apple’s predictive typing has become less intelligent over the years, so using the Note app was like a breath of fresh air on our iPhone 5s and iPad Air.

Unfortunately, that energizing typing experience is strictly limited to the confines of the Note app, although actual content can be exported elsewhere. SwiftKey makes the most of this limitation by optionally syncing notes with Evernote, complete with labels and tags. Related notes can be grouped into Notebooks and then called up from other devices where the app is installed, as well as from any of Evernote’s supported platforms. Otherwise, SwiftKey Note is a very capable, free solution for making quick notes, with optional support for U.K. English, German, Italian, and two flavors of Spanish or French, respectively, each available as optional free downloads.

The bottom line. SwiftKey Note may not be the alternative keyboard savior we’ve been hoping for (due to Apple’s restrictions), but it’s definitely one of the best note-taking apps available for iOS.